Garage door



Flc.. 2.

Ju1yv21, 1931.

J. F. WARNER Filed Au. 5. 1929 'llll'h FIG. V.5.

GARAGE 110011 JoHn faam WARNER.

v ATTORNEY.

rIxix/21115012;

2 Shoets-$heet .2

.ANJWUHDH l a n. rU QN\ |\.v er .N -lm r L.. H Mwu v 1 I s l y .SNVEN'mRQ JOHN Fnnun Wnnum' minfin :L

Patented July 21, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN FRAZER WARNER, F MUNCIEINDIANA GARAGE DOOR Application mea August 5, 1929. semaine. 383,479.

This invention relates to iiexible doors in.-

tended for garages or other buildings having large or wide doorways. A door of this type consists of panels hingedly connected together, and lwhich are retained movably t in runways therefor in such manner that the door may assume a status other than vertical as it is raised from the lower or closed position and to an overhead open position. A counterbalancing mechanism. is so constructed and arranged that jarring or slamming of the door is prevented, and the door is capable of being easily moved to, and 1t 1s safely retained, in any adjusted positlon.

In the art as now understood, the counterbalancing mechanism is arranged in position either above the door and housing structure proper, or within the housing frames or jambs of the door. Such arrangementsinvolve the use of mechanical parts more or less detached, and space for them is required 'Y either above or below the door structure. The parts of such mechanisms are not easily assembled or installed, nor are they easily accessible for purposes such as inspecting, adjusting or repairing. Moreover there is not the desired ease of actuation ofthe door at the beginning of its movement toward either the open or the closed position.

To -accomplish improvements in construe` tion 4whereby the above objections may be overcome, and to provide a door which is capable of .being easily andeconomically handled in the manufacture, the transporta- 35 tion and the installation thereof, and which said door is'self contained, and durable, and

dependable, and easy to operate, are the objects of my invention.

rIhe above named general-purposes as well as more specific aims of my invention, as will appear as the specification of my invention proceeds, are accomplished by the new construction, combination and arrangement of parts described in the following specification. The several parts of my invention as they appear in the accompanyingA drawings, are identified by suitable characters of reference.

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved 50 door construction. l

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure l. Filgure 3 is an enlarged rear view of Figure Figure'l is a top plan view on line 4-4 in Figure 1; 55 Figure 5 lis an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 5 5, and as seen in the direction of arrow 5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail View of the end portion of the lowermost door panel.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view of the. hip portion of one of the housing units, this View being taken on the line 5-5 in the direction of the arrow 5 in Figure 1. 1

Figure 8 is a sectional top plan view taken 65 Aon line 8 8 in Figure 6. I

Figure 9 is a sectional top plan view taken on line 9-9 in Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a sectional top plan view (enlarged) taken on line 10-10 in Figure 5.

Figure ll is a vertical cross section View taken on line 11-11, in the direction of arrow 11 in Figure 6.

My invention provides spaced opposed upright housings, guide and runway units hav- 7 ing curvedhip Aportions and parallel horizontal portions, the runways of which said units are confronting, a door 'consisting of panels flexibly connected together and having their ends retained mova ly in said housings, antifriction bearings on the end p'ortions of said panels, and which are operable in said runways, a tension device carried by the door, and flexible connections between the said tension device and the housings whereby the door is counterbalanced in all of its positions.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in the drawings I have illustrated the several features and details of construction, in the form and arrangement deemed preferable, it being obvious that they may be modified and varied within the scope of the invention .as defined by the appended claims. The

present structure has a height over all of I about ten feet, and a width of about eight feet, and is intended especially for the doorways ofgarages. The height of the door is about eight feet.

The housing and runway units are of right 106 ,and leftl formation.- Each comprises an up- .ly light sheet metal plate, of suitable prede- .termined width, made into formation in cross section as shown in Figure 10, to constitute a housing and guideway 1, having the face plate 2 and a runway 4 with inturned fiange 5. At a suitable distance from the approximate ends of these sections, the runway portions thereof are cut away thereby constituting fabutment faces 6 and 7 indicated in FigllIe VThe hip section consists of a stout gusset plate 8of right-angle formation, and which is provided with a curvilinear liange 9'w'1th inturned lip 10. Flanges 11 of the rightangle edge portions are adapted to be secured by bolts or rivets to the flanges 1a of .the upright and fianges 1a of the horizontal sections of the housing. The several sections thus constituting the housing unit are firmly united, and the flange 9 constitutes a runway from the lines of jointure 6 and 7.

The said housing units are retained at spaced distance apart by having their foot portions suitably anchored to the floor, and by havingv their upper portions stayed by. a head plate 12, and by the suitable `cross plates 13 and 14; After the housing structure just described will have been set up in the doorway space,

the end portions of the horizontal sections are stayed by suitable braces or stay pieces (not shown) which extend to some part ,of the superstructure of the building. v

The door panels, in the present instance four in number,and designated 1.5, 16, 17 and 18, and which are connected together by the suitable hinges 20, are adapted to occupy position with their ends immediately at the rear of the face plates 2 of the housing units. At the rear side of each of the upper corners of the panels 16, 17 and 18, and at the rear side of each ofthe four corners of the lowermost panel 15 is a bracket 21. Retained in adjusted osition in the longitudinal bore of said bracket by set nuts 22 is a spindle 23, upon which'is journaled a roller 24. The relative positions of the several parts just described are shown in Figure 11, the rollers being operable freely in the runways 4, and being guarded against displacement'by the flanges 5.

,On one of the door panels, in the present instance the panel 15,`complementary tension devlces are carrled. These tension devlces are similar in construction, function andl capacity, and each consists of a helical retractile spring 30, one end of which is secured to the panel, and the other end being provided with stirrup 31 in which is journaled a sheave 32.

On a suitable spindle'33 provided on the rear side of the panel 15' and near its end, is j ournaled a grooved pulley 34. On a spindle block 35 provided therefor on the lower por tion of each endof said panel, 'there is journaled the relatively small grooved pulley 36.

At a suitable height, and located in the posiv wardly to the eyelets 37 of the housing unit, i

where they are secured, The'length of each,r

cable is such that with the door panels in the vertical status (the door being closed) the springs 30 are expanded as shown in Figure 3,

there being stored and retained thereby a tension of such degree that by the application of a slight lifting effort the door may be raised, the same being counterbalanced. The counterbalancing effect of the device is constant,

treme coinpactness and simplicity of the con- Y struction, the substantial strength of the structure in its entirety, the accessibility of the several parts, and the elimination of the.

necessity of a counterbalancing part, either above or below the housing units. The face plates of the housings constitute effective closures for sides of the door against the elements. The runways are at such position, re'- moved from the housing portion of the unit,

that they are easily accessible for any purpose, and being flanged they also function as guides to prevent the rollers from deviation from a straight course. Moreover therev is easy access to the'bearings of the rollers for the necessary occasional lubrication thereof. Light sheet metal cover plates 42 on the rear side of panel 15 suitably enclose the springs 30 and -their several connections.

A latching and locking device for the door may consist of guides 44 on the ends of one 4of the door panels, and in which are retained slide bolts 45 that are adapted to enter suitable openings provided therefor in the housf ings. The said bolts are retracted by rods 46 which are pivotally'connected to a head 47, rotatably mounted onthe door panel. The said head 47 is provided with a crank 48, and by which it may beeasily actuated, and which said crank is capable of being held to a stop lug 49 by a padlock.

- The invention in readiness to be installed,`

consists of the upright sections, the horizontal sections, and the hip sections, the cross plates 12, 13, and 14, and the door l(one ofsaid panels having the tension devices there-- ythe tension on the springs being diminished tion is applicable for doors' for buildings ofV all kinds, and for doorways of various dimensions. Variations in the degree oftension desired to compensate for variations in height of the housing units, and for variation in number, size and weight of the door panels, are accomplishedby variation in the tensile properties in the springs 30, and also variation, if necessary, in the dimensions of the sheaves 32, and pulleys 34 and 36. The variation of the ty e of rollers, whether having ordinary para lel bearings, pin bearings or ball bearings, does not involve any structural changes, as the s indles 23 are capable of being moved to an, held in positions adjusted longitudinally of the door panels (the door being -caused to operate in alignment by the iianged runways) whereby any possibility of sticking of the door, or interruption of its smooth and free movement, is

eliminated.

' I am aware that minor changes and modifications may be made in the structural features and details of my invention, within the scope of the invention as it is defined by the appended claims, without departing from' the spirit of the invention or sacrificlng any of its advantages.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters vatent is 1. A doorway structure of the kind described, com rlsing spaced housing units having curve hip portions and being of formation incross section to provide frontal cheeks and offset runways, door panels hingedly connected together and whose ends are in re istration with the rear` of the cheeks of said ousings, rollers on the doorpanels and which are operable in said runways, complementary coll springs carried on the lowermost door anel one end of each spring being secure to said panel, and the other end of each spring beingl provided with a sheave, a pulley at each en of the rear'face of said anel, a pulley on each end and near the ower edge of said panel .and cables trained through said sheaves and over said pulleys each cable' having one of its ends connec Lto said panel ata location adjacent to the first named pulley, and the other of its ends being connected to the hip portion ofthe adjacent housing.

2. In fiexib e door construction, comprising guide and runway bousin oppositely disposed, land there bein mova le therein a door composed of iiexib y connected panels an ex ansible and retractile spring carried by an having one of its ends secured to the lowermost door panel the other end of said spring being rovided with a sheave, a pulley on one si e at the upper portion and a pulle on one end at'the lower portion of said pane and a cable trained over said sheave -and the said pullefys and up through the housing, one end o the cable being secured to Asind to the said door panel at a locationy adjacent to the first named pulley and the other end being secured to the-said housing at the upper portion thereof.

3. In a-door construction comprising opposed upright housings having frontal cheeks, and embodying confronting trackways curved in their hip portions and which are thence extended rearwardly, articulated door panels having rollers operable in said trackways and their ends being in registration with the rear sides of said cheeks, a pulley on the rear side of the upper portion of each end ofthe bottom panel, a pulley on the lower portion of each end of the bottom panel, a pair of coil springs each having one end secured to the rear side of the bottom panel, a sheave on the free end of each of said springs, a cable of predetermined length trained over the said pulleys and said sheave, one end of said cable being fastened to the housing at its upper portion, and the other end vbeing fastened to the rear side of the which are operable in said runways, .complementary coil springs carried on the bottom panel, one end of each spring being secured panel, and the other end of each spring being provided with a sheave, a pulley at each 4end of the rear side of said panel, a fpulley on each end and near the lower edge o sai panel and cables of predetermined len h trained through said sheaves and over `sai pulleys, the ends of which said cables are connected to the said anels at locations adjacent to'the first name pulley, and to the u r rtions of the housin A Ppe po JOHN FRAZERgsWARNER. 

